2004 Athens Olympics Best Ever For adidas
"The Olympic Games in Athens were the best ever for adidas - both in Greece and around the world," said Herbert Hainer, CEO of adidas-Salomon AG at Politia, the adidas version of the Olympic Village during the Olympics. "We were clearly the leading brand in terms of visibility during the Games. We provided exciting product innovations and first-class service to the best athletes of the world and made our mark in communication. All in all, the Olympic Games in Athens brought us a giant step closer to our mission to be the leading sports brand in the world."
As an Official Supporter of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games™, adidas supplied more than 1.4 million products to federations, volunteers, officials and others. adidas also provided 1,300 balls for the Olympic handball and football competitions. By outfitting 22 National Olympic Committees, including the most successful nation, USA, and the host nation Greece, adidas secured its position as the true Olympic brand. In total, more than 4,000 athletes competed in three stripes and adidas provided products for 26 out of the 28 Olympic sports.
Athletes wearing adidas shoes or apparel won 147 gold, 128 silver and 148 bronze medals. Among the successful adidas athletes were swim star Ian Thorpe (Australia), the world's number 1 female tennis player, Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium), the king of athletes, decathlete Roman Sebrle (Czech Republic) and local hero, weightlifter Pyrros Dimas (Greece) as well as emerging athletes like the golden girl of swimming, Jodie Henry (Australia), pole vault world record holder Elena Isinbayeva (Russia) and 200 meter sensation, 18-year-old junior world record holder Allyson Felix (USA).
adidas spent four years preparing its Olympic product and marketing program involving adidas personnel from around the world. ClimaCool® apparel and footwear helped athletes to literally stay cool in the heat of the Games. The FORMOTION™ sprint suit not only supported the runner's muscular system but also helped to maintain the right body position during running. With the DeMOlisher II, sprinters benefited from better support, grip and stability. Top swimmers like Thorpe and Henry increased their performance by wearing the JetConcept full body swimsuit.
The Olympic version of the adidas communication campaign "IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING" celebrated the timeless passion and spirit driving all athletes, who once again gave their best to prove that in sport, truly, impossible is nothing.
"We already used the European Football Championships to grow our football leadership and now we demonstrated at the Olympic Games that we are the brand that understands sport best," Herbert Hainer added. "2004 is a mega sports year and it will be a record year for adidas-Salomon. We are already at work ensuring that we keep the momentum going at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in our home market, Germany, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China."